Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Messenger (2009)

!!! Seen in December 2009 !!!

An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer. [imdb]Nominated for 2 Oscars:Best Supporting Actor: Woody HarelsonBest Original Screenplay

The subject is so difficult to take and I thought I was gonna have an impossible time watching this film! A movie about 2 soldiers announcing families their sons/husbands have died: you just know it will be an uncomfortable experience. But once the film starts… it doesn’t get boring and although painful at times (in an emotional-intense way), it really is a smooth, fulfilling movie experience.

It’s not a complicated film; it’s very low budget, nicely written, and superbly acted: Woody Harelson and Samantha Morton might just give career best performances, but to me the true star of the film is Ben Foster, delivering some of the year’s best acting. The fact that he was totally ignored by all the Award groups is plain stupid. A nice, touching indie film.

My rating for the film: 8/10. Excellent idea to use Willie Nelson’s Amazing Grace in the trailer.